Railroad-track adjuster.



Nn. 692,498. Patented Feb. 4, |902.

R. BAGGALEY.

RAILROAD TRACK ADJUSTER.

fApplication filed Nov. 7, 1901.)

(No Model.)

FIC-Ll WBTINESSES Unirse STATES PATIENT FFICE.

RALPH BAGGALEY, F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FtAlLROAlD-TRACK ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,498?, dated February 4, 1902. Application led November 7, 1901. Serial No. 81.471. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ 10750771, t may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH BAGGALEY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania,haveinventedacertain new and useful Improvement in Railroad- Track Adjusters, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to means for adjusting the height of a portion of a railroadtrack relatively to contiguous portions of the same, and While more particularly designed for application in connection with the automatic haulage and delivery system which is set forth in an application for Letters Patent filed by me August 16,1901, Serial No. 72,276, is also applicable to railroad-tracks which are operated under other conditions.

The object of my invention is to provide an appliance by which a portion of a track may be raised to a greater or less degree relatively to the portions thereof adjoining its ends and be adapted when so raised to properly receive and deliver cars from and to said adjoining portions.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan or top view of a portion of arailroadtrack, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, asimilar View, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, with the movable rails shown as standing at a lower level than in Fig. 2; Fig. 4., a transverse section through the adjusting members of a single line of rails at the line ad of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a similarsection through a rail and bridge-piece at the line Z) b of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a similar section through two lines of rails as adapted to be simultaneously adjusted.

The haulage and delivery system of my application Serial No. 72,276 aforesaid comprehends a line of railroad-track over the tangents of which ears are conveyed by an overhead propelling-cable and around the curves of which they are traversed by their own gravity, there being a short upward and a sueeeeding downward gradient at or adjacent to the entrance of each curve and the ears being pushed up the ascending gradients by the cable and thereafter automatically released therefrom and allowed to pass down the descending gradients and around the curves by gravity. It will be obvious that the degree of elevation of the track which is most desirable will be governed by the weight of the ears and their load, the radius of curvature, and other conditions and lnay to attain the best operative results be varied in accordance with variations in conditions of track or service, or both. My present invention affords means whereby such adjustment ofthe elevation of the track may be properly and readily effected.

In the practice of my invention I provide in each of the lines of rail of a railroad-track 5, on which cars are normally run only in one direction, a vertically-movable section of rail 5, which is located, preferably, in a tangent of the track, adjacent to the junction of the entrance end of a curve therewith, by the entrance end being meant that end to which the cars pass from the tangent in their normal direction of traverse. Each of the movable sections of rail 5 is downwardly bent or inclined at a comparatively slight angle from its middle to each of its ends and is secured to a seat-block 5b, which is fitted to move vertically in guides in a frame or easing 5C, fixed to a suitable foundation below the line of rails. The seat-block 5b is preferably covered and protected by a cap 5d, of plate metal, which is bent into channel 0r inverted-U form in transverse section and is interposed between the seat-block and the movable rail-section. The seat-blocks and caps of each line of rails fit neatly, and are adapted to move vertically between the ends of the fixed rails 5, which adjoin the movable sections 5, and the transit of the cars to and from said movable sections is eifected over bridge-pieces 5e, which are articulated to the seat-blocks 5b by means of pins or bolts 5f, fixed to the seat-blocks, which enter tapered sockets in the bridge-pieces, near the ends thereof, which adjoin the movable rail-sections. The opposite lends of the bridgepieces are provided with downwardly-extending lateral flanges which fit and are adapted to slide on the sides of the heads of the fixed rails and maintain the bridge-pieces in proper relation therewith. The outer ends of the bridge-pieces may, if desired, be drawn down to thin edges, so as to permit the carwheels to run readily to them from the ixed rails, but are preferably, as shown, provided with removable extensions or shoes 5, the outer ends of which are drawn down to thin edges and Which embrace the rail-heads by lateral flanges similarly to the ends of the bridge-pieces. The employment of the separate and removableshoes enables a thinner edge to be used than in the case of the bridgepieces and also admits of their ready removal when worn without interference with the connection of the bridge-pieces and movable rail-sections.

The vertical adjustment of the seat-blocks 5b for the purpose of imparting the desired elevation to the movable rail-sections 5L may be eected in any suitable and preferred manner, either manually or by the application of power. In the instance illustrated the seat-blocks are shown as transversely recessed for the reception of Wedges upon which they rest, said wedges when moved in the direction ofthe central plane of the track simultaneously raising the superposed seatblocks and movable rail-sections and when .moved in the opposite direction permitting them to be lowered by their own gravity. It will be seen that the bridge-pieces follow the movable rail-sections in their movements, so that at any and all elevations ofthe movable rail-sections a continuous avenue is provided for the traverse of the car-Wheels to and from them. The seat-blocks are in this instance shown as movable by means of adjusting-screws 5k, journaledin the bottom of the casing 5C' and revoluble by the application of hand or other power to their outer ends, said screws engaging nuts 5 on the wedges 5i and being heldin adjusted position by locknuts 5m.

As shown in Figs. l toet, inclusive, the movable sections of the tW'o lines of rail are independently adjustable, being supported on in'- dependent seat-blocks, each of which is provided with adjusting mechanism, as above described. Fig. 6 illustrates a construction in which both of the movable rail-sections are fixed upon a single seat-block and are therefore coincidently adjusted.

-It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that any known and preferred mechanical expedients may Within the scope of my invention be employed to applythe power requisite for elevatingthe seat-blocks and movable rail-sections and that the power may be applied either manually, as through a Wrench, to rotate the adjusting-screws, or be exerted by a compressed-air or other motor acting directly or indirectly on the adjusting-screws.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. In a railroad-track, the combination of fixed rails, an intermediate movable rail-section, bridge-pieces articulated at one end to the movable section and resting, at their opposite ends, on the fixed rails, and means for vertically adjusting the movable section.

2. In a railroad-track, the combination of fixed rails, an intermediate vertically-movable seat-block, a rail-section fixed to said seat-block, bridge-pieces articulated, at one end, to the seat-block and resting, at their opposite ends, on the fixed rails, and means for vertically adjusting the seat-block.

3. In a railroad-track, the combination of fixed rails, an intermediate vertically-movable seat-block, a rail-section iixed to said seat-block, bridge-pieces articulated, at one end, to the seat-block and resting, at their opposite ends, on the fixed rails, lateral guidelanges fixed to the bridge-pieces and fitting the sides of the fixed rails, and means for vertically adjusting the seat-block.

4. In a railroad-track, the combination of fixedrails, an intermediate vertically-movable seat-block, a rail-section fixed to said seat-block, bridge-pieces articulated, at one end, to the seat-block, and resting, at their opposite ends, on the fixed rails, removable thin-edged shoes or extensions connected to the ends of the bridge-pieces farther from the movable rail-section, and means for vertically adjusting the seat-block.

5. In a railroad-track, the combination of fixed rails, an intermediate vertically-adjustable seat-block, a rail-section fixed to said seat-block, a Wedge supporting the seat-block and tting a transverse recess therein, and an adjusting-screw journaled in a fixed bearing and engaging a nut on the Wedge.

RALPH BAGGALEY.

Vitnesses:

J. SNOWDEN BELL,- CLARENCE A. WILLIAMs. 

